Phlox paniculata is Summer Phlox or Garden Phlox

-
Cold-hardy, perennial, Garden or Summer Phlox plants are loaded with summertime flowers that feed butterflies and have sturdy stems that can be cut for arrangements.

The first discovery of Phlox was recorded in VA, 1678, by John Banister, an English missionary-naturalist who was studying the flora and fauna of the British Colonies. Then, in 1737, Linnaeus established the Phlox genus, naming them flowers the color of glowing flame.

Summer or Garden Phlox, Phlox paniculata, shows off its colors in the heat of summer with large heads of scented flowers covered with butterflies and skippers. The tallest varieties are native from the Appalachians to the Ozarks.

Summer Phlox is one of the most widely grown and bred perennials in the world. They are not particular about soil type but need a moist, well-drained place in the sun.

If they do not have adequate air circulation they are susceptible to powdery mildew. Three mildew-prevention tips: Snip out all but 4 - 6 stems in mature clumps, divide clumps every few years and avoid overhead watering.

Ten varieties will be available at Muskogee Garden Club plant sale this Saturday from 10 to 3 at the Thomas-Foreman Historic Home, 1419 West Okmulgee AV.
Phlox Blue Paradise

1.      - Blue Paradise is a Phlox introduction from Piet Oudolf. It is mildew resistant with white-eyed, deep blue flowers that become shades of purple during the heat of the day. In the evening they return to purple. Mature plants are 3.5 feet tall and 2-feet wide.
2.    -  Bright Eyes grows 2-feet tall and wide. Each flower on the large flower heads is light pink with a red-pink center or eye.
3.     -  David is famous for bright white flower heads in the heat of summer. Humidity and mildew resistant David won the Perennial Plant Association’s Plant of the Year in 2002 and has been wowing gardeners ever since. Grows 3-feet tall and 2-feet wide.
4.      - Fairest One is known to be highly resistant to powdery mildew. Shell pink flowers on 3-foot tall and 1-foot wide plants.
5.     -  Flame Pink is a dwarf variety that matures at 18-inches tall and 14-inches wide. Bright pink flowers.
6.      - Flame Purple is a dwarf selection that matures at 18-inches tall and 14-inches wide. Scented, fuchsia-pink-purple flowers.
7.     -  Franz Schubert has mauve-lilac-blue Hydrangea-like flowers with a darker eye.  Mature plant size is 3-feet tall and 2-feet wide.
8.     -  Nicky – Darkest purple Phlox flowers on disease resistant plants.  Mature plants are 2.5-feet tall and one-foot wide.
9.     -  Red Super flowers are deep, red-violet with white eyes and very light scent.  Plants grow 3.5 feet tall and 18-inches wide. Recent introduction to the garden world. 
Phlox Orange Perfection
10.  - Orange Perfection has salmon p ink-orange flowers with dark pink eyes. The plants grow 3-feet tall and 18-inches wide.



Spring is the best time to plant or divide existing plants. When dividing, dig the entire clump and cut it into pieces, then replant the pieces, two feet apart in prepared beds. Phlox clumps should be divided every 3-years. Even though Phlox require minimal care, a sunny planting spot with compost-enriched soil will make them bloom most.

A layer of mulch or compost on top of the planted area will help control weeds and keep the soil moist enough. If there is no rain, deep water the roots an inch a week. Garden Phlox will re-bloom if you remove the spent flower heads.

Prune them to the ground after the first hard frost in the fall to protect spring growth from plant diseases.


If you miss the plant sale on Sat., local nurseries and garden centers always have Garden Phlox varieties for your perennial border. Dayton Nursery (www.daytonnursery.com) has a large selection to check out before you shop locally.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Moldy Tulip Bulbs

-
Image
Moldy tulip bulbs are a big disappointment when you are hoping to fill a bed or some pots. It is not that unusual for their skins to have a bit of penicillin mold but these are beyond that tad bit stage. Mold penetrating tulip bulb  Mold on emerging tulip bulb growth  So, what to do? The plant references say to throw them out and buy new ones but I already spent $22 for 50 of these white tulip beauties. First, they got a soak in 1% bleach solution in the kitchen sink in the hope that the bleach would stop the mold from continuing to grow without killing the life force in the bulb itself. After a good slosh around, I wiped them off to see how much damage was beneath the blue and black.  This tulip bulb is soft to the touch and there is little chance it will thrive in the soil. This basal root on these have been ruined by mold. The final step I took to try to salvage part of them  was to spray them thoroughly with fungicide.  They are all planted in the
Read more

Propagate Begonia Stem Cuttings in water - Cane-like Angel Wing Begonia

-
Image
Propagating by stem cuttings is just about the easiest way to make more begonias for next summer's garden. During the fall, I regularly trim off 3-node long cuttings and put them into the growing pots where they take root. Now that cold weather has arrived, I root the stem cuttings in a vase of water. It's a great way to produce more pots of Begonias for next summer's garden. Water the plant well the day before. Take a cutting about 4-inches long, with 3 nodes, from a healthy stem. Use a perfectly clean container. Rinse the container with a drop of bleach if you are uncertain about its spotlessness. Remove all but the top leaf or two. There should be no leaves in the water. The cutting should  have a healthy leaf node at the bottom. Don't leave a stub below the node. Place the cutting into the water, and place the container out of the sun. In a couple of weeks, you will see new roots beginning to form. Check the water periodically to make sure it is still f
Read more

Create Nesting Areas for Birds and Wildlife

-
Image
From the website, Choose Natives , this lovely and instructive article helped remind me to continue to increase the amount of habitat and nesting that we provide in our garden. Many, though not all, are native or considered to be native in Oklahoma. So, I did a little research on each recommended plant and provided a link to more information. You'll see the plant name in italics - those are my links for your edification. Here's the post Derek Stoner, Project Coordinator for the Delaware Nature Society, helped restore the 860-acre Middle Run Natural Area by “intensive habitat management”, including planting 12,000 trees and shrubs.  His lecture, ‘ Native Plants for Nesting Birds: Connecting Flora and Fauna’,  given to a group of enthusiasts at the Millersville Native Plant Conference   in Pennsylvania, focused on his observations. Here are Derek’s landscaping recommendations for attracting birds: Plant shrubs in clusters (“habitat circles”) that will create the dense
Read more